Hideo Kojima to Headline Esports World Cup Festival in Riyadh
Hideo Kojima to Headline Esports World Cup Festival in Riyadh
Highlights
Japanese video game designer Hideo Kojima will appear at Saudi Arabia's Esports World Cup Festival on Aug. 23 as part of his global "Death Stranding 2" promotional tour.
The visit includes festival events and a keynote at the New Global Sport Conference alongside speakers like Magnus Carlsen and Casey Wasserman.
Industry observers see the appearance as an endorsement of Saudi Arabia's gaming ambitions, though no formal partnerships have been announced.
Hideo Kojima, the visionary behind the critically acclaimed Death Stranding franchise, will headline Saudi Arabia's Esports World Cup Festival later this month, underscoring the kingdom's ambitious drive to establish itself as a global gaming powerhouse.
The Japanese game developer is set to appear Aug. 23 at Publisher Park in Riyadh Boulevard City as part of his Death Stranding World Strand Tour 2, a 12-city promotional campaign for the highly anticipated sequel Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. The Riyadh stop marks the ninth destination on a tour that began in Tokyo and has drawn enthusiastic crowds in Seoul, Paris, London and Cologne.
Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding World Strand Tour 2
Kojima's festival program will include a meet-and-greet session, audience Q&A and a cosplay competition centered on the Death Stranding universe. General admission tickets provide access to the Q&A panel and cosplay viewing area, with separate registration for the competition available through Kojima Productions' website.
The following day, Kojima will deliver a keynote address at the New Global Sport Conference at the Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh. The conference brings together leaders from gaming, esports and traditional sports industries, with Kojima expected to discuss creativity in game development and share details about his upcoming title.
Other notable speakers at the conference include World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen, LA28 Olympic Games Chairman Casey Wasserman, former Liverpool FC CEO Peter Moore and CBS Sports Vice President Pete Radovich.
The appearance signals the intersection of single-player narrative gaming with the competitive esports scene and comes as Saudi Arabia pursues broader ambitions in the global gaming industry through initiatives led by its Public Investment Fund and Savvy Games Group.
While no formal partnerships between Kojima Productions and Saudi organizations have been announced, industry observers view the visit as a significant endorsement of the nation's gaming aspirations and a potential indicator of future collaborations.
After the Saudi Arabia engagement, Kojima's promotional tour will conclude with three North American stops in Los Angeles, Mexico and New York City.
Author
Krishna Goswami is a content writer at Outlook India, where she delves into the vibrant worlds of pop culture, gaming, and esports. A graduate of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) with a PG Diploma in English Journalism, she brings a strong journalistic foundation to her work. Her prior newsroom experience equips her to deliver sharp, insightful, and engaging content on the latest trends in the digital world.
Krishna Goswami is a content writer at Outlook India, where she delves into the vibrant worlds of pop culture, gaming, and esports. A graduate of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) with a PG Diploma in English Journalism, she brings a strong journalistic foundation to her work. Her prior newsroom experience equips her to deliver sharp, insightful, and engaging content on the latest trends in the digital world.
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